Sonowal discusses Assam security with Rajnath

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today had a detailed discussion on security and other important issues concerning the state with Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who assured to look into them.
The chief minister, who met Singh in Delhi, apprised him about the critical issues of Assam including expeditious updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), implementation of Assam Accord, sealing of the Indo-Bangladesh border, illegal migration and granting of the Scheduled Tribe status to six ethnic communities, a government release here said.
Bodoland issues, police modernisation and deployment of additional forces in the state also came up during the discussion, it said.

Sonowal urged the Home Minister to hold tripartite talks at political level with various organisations on issues relating to their demands.
These would include the leaders of the six ethnic communities - Koch Rajbongshi, Tai Ahom, Moran, Mottock, Chutiya and Adivasi-Tea garden communities who are demanding an ST status, besides All Bodo Students Union, Peoples Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement, National Democratic Front of Bodoland-Progressive and NDFB (Ranjan Daimary) regarding Bodoland issues.
The other organisations with whom he requested talks are Adivasi National Convention Committee regarding issues of Adivasis in Assam, All Koch Rajbongshi Students Union (Hiteswar Barman) and AKRSU (Pradip Ray) regarding Koch Rajbhongshi issues and with All Assam Students Union (AASU) regarding Assam Accord implementation, the release said.

Singh agreed to hold the talks and said the meeting dates would be communicated soon.

Sonowal also apprised him about concerns on the NRC updation exercise relating to modalities, timeframe and fund flow and the Registrar General of India (RGI), Ministry of Home Affairs, agreed to complete the process in a time-bound manner subject to directions of the Supreme Court.
The RGI was requested to seek legal opinion on admissibility of the documents prescribed for NRC updation in the light of a recent Gauhati High Court judgement pertaining to the gaon panchayat president's certificate, the release said.
With regard to implementation of the Assam Accord, Sonowal urged Singh to give appropriate instructions to complete the ongoing Indo-Bangladesh border fencing work, including in the riverine areas and to also install a new fencing with modern design, it said.